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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981-11-13-COA-min.pdf _., _ , gt. () n 4wieipo .i7,7.._ , i , , , • RECEIVED' . rte.' ii,- -- SELECTMEN Tat., 4 r.),,szeop Council on Aging Minutes of the Council on Aging Box 636 Meeting on Tuesday January 13,1981 Lexington, Mass. 02173. Present: Ch. J. Rooney, V. Ch. R. WeLnstein, S Clark, J. Clark, S. Goodwin, W. Sen, B. Rubin Staff: J. Pletcher, E. Morehouse Observers: Nancy Banks, Assist. To Town Manager Gail Colwell, CoA volunteer Stephen Doran, State Representative Gladys Scanlon, Silver-hair Legislator Marcia Williamson, INDEPENDENT, reporter Absent: W. Benway, vol. treasurer B. Luckmann, L. Tropeano, M. McDonald The Meeting was called to order- by Rooney at 5_:.07 pm.- r MOTION: Moved, seconded, and passed unanimously to accept the minutes as read. Treasurer's Report: Melcher went over the report for the Council in the absence of treasurer Benway. It was noted that the rent for the CoA office had not been included in the statement. It was also noted that the costs of the Nutrition Site should be included in the line item called Programa Development . MOTION: Moved, seconded, and passed unanimously to accept the treasurer's report as read. Chairman's report: Rooney reported on a crisis situation which he handled over the weekend involving physical abuse of a senior citizen by her daughter and son-in-law. Coordinator's report: Melcher reported on the success of the congregate meals. Sixty citizens have signed up for the lunch cin Thursday the 15th. We have bad to turn away another forty, Elizabeth Pitman is planning on showing her slides of China following the lunch. In the future we plan on setting fifty as an upper limit for the lunches. Melcher spoke at the Winchester Senior Center on the organi- zation of 'trips and the theater group as done in the Lexington CoA. O,S MORN,A#C ` tiO� 00 �\ a !pi pif4,, \.4rFIL19j LEXrNGta4 (2) Minutes of the Council on Aging e, January 13th (cont) Joyce McAteer of the DEA dropped by unexpectedly. The office was extremely busy. McAteer was able to see a variety of activities and interests. Howard Davis of the Somerville Caaabr.idge Economic Opportunity Committee will be instigating a weatherization program in Lexington. He will run workshops one day per week for applicants who qualify for this help. Council members have been asked to read the Elderly Needs Assessment report as presented by Bea Phear in the Town Manager's office. Nancy Banks responded to comments and questions in the absence of Ms. Phear. A lengthy discussion ensued re the merits of Munroe and Muzzey schools as possible senior centers . The report pointed out that Munroe was a poor choice due to poor accessibility, bad lay out, and not possible as an income producing building, Muzzey was pointed out to have physical advantage over Munroe including the possibility of part of it being used to produce income either with office space or housing. Goodwin pointed out that the report did not address directly this mixture of services or an architect's study to support it. The question arose as to whether the present facilities at the church are adequate. Banks spoke of the possibility of rene- gotiating with the Church for lower rent. Melchor pointedout that the rent is a bargain. ors a square foot baaiae Weinstein stated: that. the CoA is in a Catch 22 situation wherein programs need spaces space creates programs, and that the CoA cannot continue to expand unless we have a center which includes_ larger and more flexible space. Rooney reviewed the history of the Site Exploration Committee. They surveyed 16 communities and 84 sites in Lexington alone. As yet the Senior Sites Committee report has not been accepted by the Select- men. The Site Committee report listed the following suggestions in preferential order: 1 . The Barnes building (not available at this time) 2. Hayden (not feasible) 3. Munroe (the actual first choice because itwas the only feasible one at this time) Banks warned the Council that with Prop. 21 in effect there is no way that the Town, will raise aquarter million dollars without cutting basics line services. The report which Phear presented supports the conversion of Muzzey as a. multi-use building for a senior center and as an income producing building. One condition by the Town is to allow developers to renovate and then give back to the town for use a portion of the building, thus offsetting costs. The CoA emphasized that seniors were not interested or in favor of sharing space with teenagers and their range of activities. A special committee to be beaded by Al Busa will be formed after Town Meeting '81 to further investigate the potential use of Muzzey. (3) Minutes of the Council on Aging 0 January 13th ( cont) Banks told the CoA that Town Meeting is in no position to vote a large sum of money for a Center. More time will be needed as the CoA continues to work to set the ground work and, in reality, should be working for 182 Town Meeting. It is mandatory that a dollar cost plus in depth plans be prepared in order to make a presentation to the Town Meeting. Banks stated that this is not the year to sell anything at the Town Meeting. Weinstein stated that be had a sense of Deja Vu. The Council is again in the position in which it found itself a year ago : the need to make a financial and architectural study of the pro- posed Muzzey building as a possible site with little time to make an in-depth study to present to the Town. Goodwin reviewed again the time constraints on MECO in their search for their future location. Nominations were requested from the floor for a Board Member to replace Weinstein as an Alternate Director to the MMHCC. MOTION: Moved, seconded, and passed unanimously to designate William Son as an Alternate Director to MMHCC. Stephen Doran, the State Representative, made a brief proposal for permission to be available at the CoA offices one day a Month in the morning to answer inquiriea_t and provide. information for the elderly.- He emphasized that he would be willing to stop the- praettce- aIoas to-' any election time. The CoA will consider the proposal. MOTION: Moved, seconded, and passed to adjourn the meeting at 6:15 pm. S inns d: // / `J� r-, , Elise V. Morehouse Assist. Coord., CoA